Thomas Gaines Slate Thomas Gaines Slate was born Jan. 15, 1853, in Nashville, TN. Apparently, he was raised in Nashville. His father died when he was young, and his mother taught school in Nashville. On Jan. 15, 1880, Thomas Gaines Slate married Cynthia Medora Hunter from Farmington, TN. They lived in Shelbyville, TN, where three children were born (Rush Gaines Slate, Nov. 15, 1880; Bonnie Bell Slate, Dec. 13, 1882; and Claude Dora Slate, Aug. 9, 1884). Cynthia Medora Hunter Slate died in Shelbyville Sept. 23, 1884. Around 1885, Thomas Gaines Slate married Ava Stanfield and the family moved from Shelbyville to College Grove, where the following children were born: Richard Clifton Slate, June 22, 1886; Mignon Slate, Oct. 27, 1888; Ethel Slate, Oct. 3, 1890; and Ruth English Slate, Jan. 13, 1897. The Slate family children lived in College Grove until they were married and moved away. Thomas Gaines Slate lived in College Grove with his wife until his death in 1939. Thomas Gaines Slate managed a large farm in College Grove, on which he raised prized cattle and horses. He also worked as a contractor/builder and designed and built his own home, and numerous others and other buildings throughout the community. One of his buildings was the present College Grove Methodist Church, of which he was a member. Thomas Slate was the son of Hiram Slate and Isabella S. Wallis. Isabella S. Wallis has been recognized by the Tennessee Sampler Survey as a teacher of needlework. Several samplers survive, completed by her students and containing Isabella's name as part of the sampler. Isabella taught at the Union Academy in the Douglas Community (tenth district) of Williamson County. By Helen L. Clark, Laguna Woods, CA